I don’t know. A “horse” is a male horse. A “stallion” is a male horse. A “stud” is a male horse. Three different words for the same thing. Or, if you prefer, a car, an automobile, a motorcar, a rod, a short, a ride. Does that mean English is an extremely complex language? Unless your language is about the level of in “Caveman” – “Atuk aloonda Lana” – there will be more than one word for many things. That’s why they make Thesauri.

Well “cholek” isn’t capitalised so it’s not a name or proper noun.
I may be reading this too deep but a google search for the word cholek brought me to a jewish website where the word cholek is used in the phrase “ha’cholek al Rabbo” one who argues with the Rabbi… Like I said, may be reading in to this too much but it would be funny if Selkie was saying “how in the teeth of argument ares you nots the bad guys?”

Tommy, there’s one thing you need to understand; you’ve been trying to rule by the fist. You bully people adult and child both. If they don’t give you what you want you threaten them and then physically attack them, possibly killing them or you destroy their livelihood. You are the bad guy here, you are a monster and a tyrant without the skills to guarantee victory in the long run. Machiavelli one said that if you can’t be both feared and loved you should pick fear yes, but he also said in the same breath that what you must avoid is to be hated. This whole mess with the bull you get the horns doesn’t breed fear, it doesn’t breed love, it doesn’t breed respect. It breeds hate, and those that rule with hate get killed by the people they treat so harshly.

Learn from this, learn that even the so called weak can take you down. But don’t become vindictive, become balanced. You have the confidence, now temper it, because little one, giants that act like giants get a mob with torches and pitchforks in their future.

Oh it’s true. I was the smallest in my school, but also probably the most vicious, since I had to be when I was bullied. People only ever physically bullied me once.
“Don’t mistake my kindness for weakness. I am kind to everyone, but when someone is unkind to me, weak is not what you are going to remember about me.”

Still, I am VERY glad that Todd recognizes that Truck needs help more than he needs punishment. He is likely a far better man that I could want to be.

See, I was the opposite. I was always the biggest and the strongest growing up. I was always afraid I’d hurt someone so I was meek and quiet. Of course, when I did get mad there was a trail of bodies, but I only did that twice and people got the message.

I love how even Tommy’s dad is all “…you’re kidding me, right? You seriously think you’re NOT the bad guy?” This will take some effort to get this spoiled kid straightened up. I do slightly hope he’ll get better. For his own sake in the future.

Speaking of the police officer: He is in the next room, just near enough to hear any raised voices or sounds of an violent act. If he has to come back out of the Principal’s office to deal with this. . .

And THIS is why Todd’s such a good guy – even a good dad. His thought is still on the well being of the kid – even the bully. To be able to take that road is very difficult, and it’s interesting that it’s Todd who sees it, Trunchbull. Don’t just beat his ass – teach him why what he did would have deserved the ass beating…

Dave, if it’s okay, I’d like to offer a little anatomy help. In panel six, I can’t tell if Tommy is leaning forward or just has his shoulders back. I think this is because of the upward curve defining his left arm and back. If he’s leaning forward, both arms should have that curve; if his shoulders are back, that curve should be straighter. I’ve had this problem with my art too.

Looks to me like his shoulders are raised – the instinctive mammalian attack posture. It’s called “bowing up”. Makes you look bigger, and therefore more intimidating to your enemy. His fists are clenched. I would not be surprised if he has goose-bumps, which is the body raising the hair follicles to make the hair stand out, again to make you look larger. His fists are clenched. I think he’s about to attack Selkie. Again.

You’d be surprised the secret insults you can get on people with English itself. There’s a lot of words out there that people don’t understand, sound nice, but are incredibly insulting in a language they think they know like the back of their hand.

Well he did get kicked in the nuts. To some people, in any conflict they are involved in, they must get revenge for whatever offense the other party is guilty of. It doesn’t matter how much suffering they caused to others in service of getting what they want, or how much of their own suffering is actually their own fault, they must get revenge for what the other person did to restore balance to the universe.

Truck is eight. It doesn’t matter to him that she was defending herself from him. It matters to him that he was kicked in the nuts.

Sorry, didn’t mean to imply that eight year olds are incapable of realizing their own culpability. Just that lack of culpability is a sign of immaturity at any age, and he’s at the age where many are just starting to learn what that is.